A pylon at the front of the building on Pier 6 collapsed, sending the front right corner of the building plunging into the water. One police officer on the scene wondered how bad things could get during high tide later this evening. Boaters in the area could be seen removing their vessels from the vicinity of the compromised structure.

FDNY officials were in an elevated bucket, monitoring movement of the building. According to officials at the scene, the building has moved another few inches since the collapse.

According to an employee at a nearby business, the collapsed was foreshadowed by an ominous noise.

"We could hear the cracking and pieces started falling off," the witness said. "Within 10 minutes, the whole front section went down."

Officials from several agencies, including the Parks Department which runs the facility, are holding a private meeting at Lyons Pool to assess the situation.

The center recently closed for repairs on a new roof, new support piling and structural repairs to stabilize the second floor, which had been closed for years.